The latest regulation of social distancing measures in Singapore was implemented on Thursday night (26 March), and those who breach the rules could face fines and jail time.
According to the stricter measures, people in Singapore are asked to keep to social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus by sitting down less than one meter away from another person in a public places by adhering to a fixed seat marked as not occupied or lines when standing in a queue.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release that the regulations, which come under the Infectious Diseases Act; will give legal force to the safe-distancing measures announced by the COVID-19 Multi-Ministry Taskforce, and provide “enhanced enforcement” for breaches of the stay-home notice.
MOH also added that those found guilty of breaching the safe-distancing rules can be jailed up to six months, or fined up to S$10,000, or both.
Additionally, gatherings outside of work or school are limited to 10 people. Even then, those people must maintain the one meter distance from each other.This rule also applies in non-transient settings such as supermarkets, coffee shops, restaurants and shopping malls.
Under the Infectious Diseases (Measures to Prevent Spread of Covid-19) Regulations 2020, all sporting events, exhibitions, trade fairs, and public entertainment at cinemas, theaters, amusement or computer games centers, among other venues, are prohibited between Friday (March 27) and April 30, both dates inclusive.
Also banned during this period are enrichment activities or tuition for children 18 years of age and below at an enrichment or tuition centre or sporting facility, and the provision of goods, entertainment or services at bars, karaoke lounges, nightclubs or discotheques.
These measures sparked various responses from netizens in Singapore.
Most people were worried about how the rules applied in the public transportation, such as MRT and buses, with one netizen noting that it is ‘not reasonably practical’ to implement these measures on public transportation.
Some business owners chimed in to say, “End up we business owners are suffering more than any individual.”
Even so, many agreed with the stricter measures applied by the government for public safety.
On the other hand, there were also those who could not accept the rules because they felt that it did not fit in work spaces.
Hasan Jjaman pointed out that it would be difficult to maintain a 1 meter distance between people when working at construction sites.
